Cutoff means for hand operated embossing tool



March 21, 1967 D. H. PEDERSEN CUTOFF MEANS FOR HAND OPERATED EMBOSSING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19. 1964 A TOR/V5 Y5 March 21, 1967 DE s N 3,310,145

me TOOL CUTOFF MEANS FOR HAND OPERATED EMBOSS Filed Feb. 19. 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TdRA/[YS United States Patent 3,310,145 CUTOFF MEANS FOR HAND OPERATED EMBOSSING TOOL Dane H. Pedersen, Moraga, Calif., assignor to Dymo Industries, Inc., Emeryville, Calitl, a corporation of California Filed Feb. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 345,923 3 Claims. (Cl. 1976.7)

This invention relates generally to marking tools for embossing symbols on a strip of material, and more particularly relates to a hand-operated tool of the type described in US. Patent No. 2,275,670.

One object of the present invention is to provide an embossing tool of the character described having an improved mechanism for severing an embossed portion of the strip of material from the tool whereby the leading edge of the strip remaining in the tool can be freely advanced without possibility of jamming or obstruction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the type described having a simplified and easily operated cutting mechanism for severing the strip of material whereby the tool can be gripped and manipulated by one hand in the same manner as in performing the embossing operation while the other hand can readily grasp and actuate a control mechanism for selective operation of the cutting mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a readily grasped control mechanism for selectively operating the instant cutting mechanism and simultaneously placing the devices strip advancing mechanism in condition for manual operation to advance the strip selectively in either direction.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional elevation view of the device shown in FIGURE 1, with the cutting mechanism disengaged.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 2 illustrating the cutting means and strip advancing means of the present invention, with the device in condition for operation of the cutting mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane of line 4-4 as shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane of line 55 as shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view similar to FIGURE 3, illustrating the instant device in position just as the strip of material is being severed.

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the plane of line 77 as shown in FIGURE 6.

There is shown in the drawings a marking tool 11 having a pair of pivotally connected handle members 12 and 13. The member 12 is seen to be generally elongated and adapted to carry a strip of material 14 for longitudinal movement thereon. A magazine 16 is pivotally secured to the member 12 for housing a supply of strip material in the form of a roll 17, the magazine being pivotally operable to enable loading of the roll. A set of dies 18 is carried by the member 12 in close disposition to the strip 14. As is more fully described in the aforementioned prior patent, the tool 11 is generally ice adapted to emboss a symbol upon the strip 14 as determined by a selected pair of dies 18 when the members 12 and 13 are pivoted towards one another. In particular, the member 13 transmits force to a slidable die punching member 19 when the members 12 and 13 are squeezed together, thus causing the selected pair of dies to contact and emboss the strip 14. Provision also is made for advancing the strip 14 along the member 12 with each embossing operation, this comprising a ratchet wheel 21 and a pawl 22. The foregoing is generally descriptive of conventional marking tools of the type described, and further reference to the details of embossing upon the strip or its automatic movement along the member 12 is unnecessary as being within the province of those skilled in the art.

Describing now the improved mechanism of the present invention, there is generally provided a stationary cutting blade 23 mounted on the member 12, with a stationary slitting blade 24 spaced forwardly of the blade 23 and likewise mounted on the member 12. A movable anvil member 26 is mounted on the member 12 in opposed confronting relation to the blades 23 and 24, with the anvil being movable from and towards the blades. The strip of material 14 passes between the anvil and the blades, so that when the anvil is operatively moved towards the blades the strip is severed by the cutting blade 23, with a tab-forming slit being provided in the severed portion of the strip by slitting blade 24, as is more fully described hereinafter. A manually operable control member 27 is used for selectively operating either the anvil 26, to perform the strip cutting function, or the punch member 19 for embossing the strip. The control member 27 also serves to selectively disengage the ratchet wheel 21 and pawl 22 for enabling reverse movement of the strip 14 by means of a manually operable knob 31 which is connected to the ratchet wheel 21.

In more detail now, the member 12 is seen to include a forward upper portion 32 On which the blades 23 and 24 are mounted, and which is secured to the main portion of the member 12 by means of a pair of threaded screws 33 as best shown in FIGURE 7. The upper portion 32 thus defines a channel 34 through which the strip passes as it is advanced between the anvil and blades. The blades 23 and 24 are mounted in a recess 35 on the portion 22, with a resilient spacer member 40 interposed between the tWo blades and between the blade 23 and the wall of the recess. The blades 23 and 24 are seen to have their cutting edges disposed transversely to the longitudinal path of the strip 14.

As regards the anvil 26, this member includes a transversely slidable portion 38 disposed in opposition to the blades 23 and 24. A thin flat relatively flexible portion 37 of the anvil 26 extends forwardly from the slidable portion 38, and as shown connects with a forward anvil portion 36 which is fixedly secured to the member 12. The anvil 26 is constructed of a resilient deformable 12 for movement generally from and towards the blades 23 and 24, with the flat connecting portion 37 bending to accompany such sliding movement. The upper surface of the anvil 26 is thus seen to present a generally smooth flat surface extending along the anvil portions 36, 37, and 38, whereby a leading edge of the strip 14 can pass without obstruction between the blades and anvil out of the device.

The portion 38 of the anvil 26 is provided with a stepped upper surface 39, including an upper step portion 41 confronting the cutting blade 23 and a lower stepped portion 42 confronting the slit-ting balde 24. The anvil 26 is constructed of a resilient deformable material, preferably of a molded plastic such as an acetal resin sold in the United States under the trademark Delrin by E. I. du Pont Polychemicals. When the cutting blade 23 is urged against the strip 14 while overlying the upper portion 41 of the anvil, the strip 14 is readily severed. The slitting blade 24 urges the severed strip portion against the lower stepped surface 42, to provide a tab slit as is more fully described hereinafter. As best shown in FIGURES 4 and 6, four spaced raised stop portions 45 are provided on the upper surface of the anvil portion 38, and are disposed in alignment with four fixed stop members 50 provided on the portion 32. When the anvil is moved towards the blades, the portions 40 abut against the members 50, thereby preventing the blades 23 and 24 from cutting into the surfaces 41 and 42. The portions 40 are spaced above the surfaces 41 and 42 sufiiciently to allow the blades to cut the tape, but prevent cutting of the anvil.

A manually operable control member 27, slidably mounted on the handle 13, is normally disposed with a portion 43 in underlying relation to the punch member 19 as shown in FIGURE '2. Thus, when the handle 13 is pivoted towards the handle 12, the portion 43 drives the punch 19 to perform its embossing operation. Resilient means, such as a coil spring 44 shown connected between the pawl 22 and member 27, normally urge the member 27 into position for operating the punch 19. When the member 27 is slid forwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 3, pivotal movement of the handles 12 and 13 towards one another does not operate the punch 19. Rather, the portion 43 is now positioned to engage the slidable anvil portion 38 so that as the members 12 and 13 are pivoted towards one another the anvil is urged towards the blades 23 and 24.

In addition to controlling the operation of the anvil 26, the control member 27 serves further to release the drive pawl 22 from the ratchet wheel 21 so that the latter can be rotated in reverse direction to move the strip 14 rearwardly. In particular, a link member 46 couples the control member 27 to the pawl 22, the link 46 preferably including a coiled spring portion 47, so that upon forward movement of the member 27 the pawl 22 is pivoted counterclockwise as shown in FIGURE 3 to disengage the ratchet wheel. After the member 27 is thus moved forwardly, the handle member 13 can be pivoted slightly towards the handle 12 so that the edge 48 of the portion 43 confronts the punch member 19. When the control member 27 is then released, the spring 44 urges the portion 43 against the punch 19, thus maintaining the member 27 in its forward position as shown in FIGURE 6. The knob 31 can then move the strip 14 rearwardly in a simple manner described more fully hereinafter. It is further noted that the pawl 22 is released from the ratchet wheel 21 during the tape cutting operation. Consequent- 1y, when the handles are released after severing the tape, the new leading edge of the tape is not advanced by the wheel 21 and therefore does not jam up against the cutting blade 23.

With regard to the operation of the instant marking tool 11, the handles 12 and 13 are grasped by the users right hand in a conventional manner, with the left hand being used to select the dies 18. With the control member 27 in its normal position as shown in FIGURE 2, the handles can be squeezed together to emboss a symbol on the strip 14. In order to sever a portion of the strip 14 disposed forwardly of the cutting blade 23, the user can place his left thumb on a projecting portion 49 of the control member 27, and his left forefinger on the forward edge 51 of the member 12. By squeezing together the thumb and forefinger of the left hand when positioned as just described, the control member 27 is readily slid to its forward position as shown in FIGURES 3 and 6. With the control member 27 thus held in its forward position by the users left hand, the right hand can squeeze the handle members 12 and 13 together to sever the forward portion of the strip 14. In the event that the user wants to move the strip 14 in a reverse longitudinal direction,

the handle 13 can be moved slightly towards the handle 12 thus causing the control member portion 43 to be restrained by the punch 19 from returning to its normal position as already described. The left hand is then free to rotate the knob 31 in either direction, while the control member 27 in its forward position maintains the pawl 22 free from engagement with the ratchet wheel 21.

In particular regard now to the operation of the blades 23 and 24 in conjunction with the anvil 26, reference is made to FIGURES 6 and 7. As shown therein, the strip 14 normally includes an upper layer 52 of embossable material, with a lower layer 53 of backing material used to protect the adhesive normally provided on the reverse side of the embossed layer 52. When the upper stepped portion 41 of the anvil 26 is forced towards the cutting blade 23, the latter blade severs completely through both the layers 52 and 53. The slitting blade 24, however, because opposed by the lower stepped portion 42 of the anvil 26, and because the movement of the anvil is limited by the stop portions 45 and 50, places a transverse out only in the upper layer 52 and does not cut through the lower layer 53 of backing material. Thus, when the severed portion of the strip 14 is removed from the device, a tab 54 of the upper layer 52 is provided, whereby the tab can be readily grasped to pull the backing layer 53 off from the embossed layer 52.

As a result of its being packaged in the configuration of a roll 17, the strip of material 14 when pulled from the roll retains some resiliency that tends to curl the strip back into its rolled form. Consequently, after the blade 23 has severed off a portion of the strip 14, the new leading edge of the strip, which is disposed just rearwardly of the blade 23, tends to curl downward towards the anvil and away from the blades. Because the anvil 26 presents the above described generally flat continuous surface in the channel 34, the new leading edge of the strip 14 can be moved freely through the channel without any obstruction. The stepped portion 39 of this surface is stepped downwardly and forwardly from the leading edge, presenting no obstruction, and likewise the blades 23 and 24 are disposed above the strip which tends to curl away from the blades. Also, after the cutting operation, the anvil moves away from the blades, and the strip is not advanced toward the blades, thus enabling the leading edge of the strip also to move away from the blades by means of its retained resiliency and assuring that the leading edge passes freely underneath the blades.

From the foregoing it is readily apparent that the present invention provides a marking device of improved and simplified construction, requiring few movable parts, and

spaced blades disposed on one side of said channel, an

anvil disposed in opposed relation to both of said blades on the other side of said channel and having an upper generally fiat surface extending forwardly of said blades, said anvil having an upper planar step portion opposing the rearmost one of said blades and a lower planar step portion parallel to said upper portion opposing the forward one of said blades, means effecting relative movement between said blades and anvil whereby said rear blade will out completely through said strip and said forward blade will cut into said strip to a predetermined limited depth so as to provide a tab, and resilient means interposed between said blades to engage said tab upon formation thereof.

2. In a tool for forming embossed labels from a strip having a tape layer, an adhesive layer on the undersur' face of the tape layer and a protective liner removably adherent to said adhesive layer, the combination of a pair of pivotally connected handle members, die means carried by a first one of said handle members, a first guide means carried by the first one of said handle members for guiding a strip of the embossable tape longitudinally relative to said first handle member through said die means, means for actuating said die means to emboss the tape layer of the strip as the strip passes through said die means, a second guide means carried by the said first one of the handle members for guiding the embossed strip from said die means, means for advancing the strip through and from said die means, a cutting unit, means for mounting said cutting unit on one of said members in confronting relation to the tape layer of the strip, an anvil unit, means for mounting said anvil unit on one of said members in confronting relation to the protective liner of the strip, means operatively connected to the second one of said handle members for moving said anvil unit and said cutting unit relatively transversely of the strip into cutting and supporting engagement with the strip, said cutting unit having two planar strip cutting surface portions extending transversely of the strip and spaced longitudinally of the strip, said anvil having two planar strip contacting surface portions alignable upon the relative movement of said units with the cutting surface portions of the cutting unit, the two surface portions of one of said units lying in a common plane and the two surface portions of the other of said units being spaced different distances from said common plane, so that upon engagement of one surface portion of the anvil unit with one surface portion of the cutting unit a predetermined liner-receiving space is provided between the other surface portion of the anvil unit and the other surface portion of the cutting unit whereby the cutting unit completely severs the embossed portion of the strip from the remaining portion of the strip and slits the severed portion of the strip through the tape layer and the adhesive layer while leaving the protective liner intact for the entire length of the severed portion of the strip, said slitting being forwardly of the line of severance.

3. In a tool for embossing a strip having a tape layer, an adhesive layer on the undersurface of the tape layer and a protective liner removably adherent to said adhesive layer, the combination of a pair of pivotally connected handle members, means carried by the first one of said members for providing a channel along which the strip to be embossed is adapted to pass, die means carried by said first one of said members, means for actuating said die means to emboss the strip, means for advancing a strip longitudinally along said channel past said die means, a pair of transversely extending, longitudinally spaced cutting blades disposed on one side of said channel with their cutting edges in common plane and confronting the tape layer of said strip, a strip supporting anvil disposed in opposed relation to and aligned with said blades on the other side of said channel and confronting the liner of said Strip, means for moving said anvil and blades relatively toward each other to bring the blades and strip into cutting engagement while the anvil supports the strip, said anvil having one planar rearward portion at a first level with respect to the coplanar cutting edges of said blades for engaging one of said blades upon the severance of said strip by said one blade to limit the relative movement of said anvil and said blades, and said anvil having another planar forward portion at a predetermined lower level with respect to the coplanar cutting edges of said blades to permit the liner supported on said other portion of the anvil to remain uncut as the other blade severs the tape and adhesive layers of the strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 579,540 3/1897 Iten 10768 1,632,004 6/1927 Hampton 83564 1,747,954 2/1930 Rydberg 10768 2,225,106 12/1940 Franke 10768 2,415,526 2/1947 Rayne 1976.7 2,787,210 4/1957 Shepard 101--93 3,046,824 7/1962 Mohr 83-658 3,083,807 4/1963 Travaglio 197-6.7 3,129,800 4/1964 Bogeous 197-6.7 3,133,495 5/1964 De Man 197-67 X 3,155,215 11/1964 Avery 197--6.7

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

E. S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN EMBOSSING TOOL, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING MEMBER HAVING A CHANNEL THROUGH WHICH A STRIP TO BE EMBOSSED IS ADAPTED TO PASS, DIE MEANS OPERATIVELY CARRIED BY SAID MEMBER INCLUDING DIE ACTUATING MEANS ADAPTED TO SELECTIVELY EMBOSS THE STRIP, MEANS FOR ADVANCING A STRIP LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID CHANNEL, AND PAST SAID DIE MEANS, A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED BLADES DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID CHANNEL, AN ANVIL DISPOSED IN OPPOSED RELATION TO BOTH OF SAID BLADES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID CHANNEL AND HAVING AN UPPER GENERALLY FLAT SURFACE EXTENDING FORWARDLY OF SAID BLADES, SAID ANVIL HAVING AN UPPER PLANAR STEP PORTION OPPOSING THE REARMOST ONE OF SAID BLADES AND A LOWER PLANAR STEP PORTION PARALLEL TO SAID UPPER PORTION OPPOSING THE FORWARD ONE OF SAID BLAES, MEANS EFFECTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID BLADES AND ANVIL WHEREBY SAID REAR BLADE WILL CUT COMPLETELY THROUGH SAID STRIP AND SAID FORWARD BLADE WILL CUT INTO SAID STRIP TO A PREDETERMINED LIMITED DEPTH SO AS TO PROVIDE A TAB, AND RESILIENT MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID BLADES TO ENGAGE SAID TAB UPON FORMATION THEREOF. 